156 Twenty Tips and Tricks to Winning on Microstocks
uninteresting subject can look spectacular in the right light. Shadows
can be your friend, not something to be avoided.
Try taking photographs of the same subject in different lighting
conditions—say, at dawn, midday, and at sunset. Notice how the light
changes in temperature (color) and how shadows change. There is a
reason why most great landscapes are shot at early morning or dusk.
Similarly, the light you use to illuminate your subject plays a critical
role in the success of the image.
Make the extra effort to shoot your subject when the light is inter-
esting. If you are using studio lights to illuminate your subject, play
around with the position of your lights, the balance between them,
and their output.
Here is a simple example; if you take a photograph of a prominent
local building, does it look better at midday in full sun, or the evening
with more gentle side lighting? Go look and see and try a few shots.
If you are using a shallow focus effect (Tip 14), reducing the power
of your studio lights will enable you to use a wider lens aperture, thus
reducing the depth of fi eld for a nice shallow focus image—great for
fashionable food and product photography!
Remember that your images are in competition with many others
and the microstocks’ clients will choose the best for their use. Interest-
ing lighting is one way to ensure that your images stand out from the
crowd.Tip 20: Get Networking!
Sometimes it is not what you know but who you know. This is a
close relative of Tips 7 and 8. Essentially, the idea is to get your
name “out there” to potential customers. Ruthlessly promote yourself
and your microstock portfolios. There are endless possibilities. As
an iStockphoto exclusive photographer, you’ll receive free business
cards, should you go down that route. If not, get some made. Use
free Web space often offered with Internet packages to set up a Web
presence from which you can link to your microstock portfolios,
display samples of your work, and maybe write a blog about your
experiences.
Mention your work to friends, neighbors, and business associates.
If you work on the basis that most business folk know at least 250
other contacts, then leveraging friends and colleagues to spread your
message could be highly benefi cial and profi table. Plus, you of course
have the added benefi t of referral income for successful buyer and
photographer introductions.
There are also network groups you might join. One I highly recom-
mend for serious photographers is Business Network International, or